Life-saving device



Jan, 18, I 1 614,9

c. J. CAREY LIFE SAVING DEVICE Filed Jan. 15. 1926 2 sham-511m 1 7 1,1,1 Jan. 18,1927. c J CAREY 6 49 5 LIFE SAVING DEVICE Filed Jan. 15. 1926 2 Sheets-Shoot 2 firm/r02 Cameuwd 0m) Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

CORNELIUS J. CAREY, 0F FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

LIFE-SAVING DEVICE.

Application filed January 15, 1928. Serial No. 81,529.

This invention relates to an improvement in life-saving devices. It has for one of its objects the combining of a water-tight sult to be worn over the person and a harness to which is attached a buoyant means which harness is placed over the suit and secured in place.

Another object is to provide a water-tight suit to be used in connection with buoyant means which suit keeps the person warm and safe from exposure while in the water.

A further object is to provide a harness means which may be slipped over the person and secured in place so that the buoyant means are so fixedly disposed that the person maintains the same position While in the water.

Referring now to the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of the suit and harness when in use.

Figure 2 shows a plan View of the harness when not in use and stretched out.

Figure 3 is a side view of the suit omitting the harness showing divided in half beginning at the shoulders.

Figures 4; and 5 are detailed enlarged views of the front and side, respectively, of the helmet portion.

In the drawings, A designates a watertight suit made of rubber or rubberized fabric or any other waterproof material. This suit is made of large size so that it may he slipped on with facility. The helmet portion of the suit, beginning at the shoulders is so divided as to afford an opening to allow the body to enter at this opening. Metal frames I are provided at the edges of the division and so constructed that when closed the two metal strips are in close contact and the locking is achieved by means of knobs J. In other words, the closure is effected in the same way as the conventional pocket-book. Four of these fastening means J are shown, one on each side of the neck, and two at the top of the helmet, The metal frames I are hinged at the points R of the shoulders. Of course it is to be understood that the number of fastening means may be changed without departing from the spirit of this invention. To secure a watertight closure one of the metal strips Imay be provided with a flanged or raised edge, the companion strip having a grooved edge adapted to receive the flanged edge into interlocking grip. The contacting surfaces the helmet portion.

may be provided wtih a rubber liner strip to better seal the connection. The division of the helmet portion may be made from front to back instead'of from shoulder to shoulder, however, this is not shown.

The front half of the helmet portion shows shield means K fixed to the helmet but sufliciently separated therefrom to provide a clearance for air to enter, the shield itself keeping out the water. The upper end of the air inlet tube S projects into the cup of the shieldK and the other end lies inside'the helmet to allow the entry of air into the helmet for breathing purposes.

Inside the top of the front half of the helmet is provided a cup means T to which are attached two tubes U. The tubes U having their ends outside of the helmet projecting into the hollows of the cup shields L. These shields are affixed to the helmet at one or two points but are sufiioiently separated from the helmet itself to allow an air clearance as in the case of the shield K. At the ends of the tubes U an additional tube M is joined in Y formation as an outlet for any water which may get into the tubes. That is to say, if perchance some water were to get into the end of the tube U it would flow out through the tube M, or conversely.

A vision piece N is provided in the front half of. the helmet so disposed that'it will be placed before the eyes when in use. Mica or glass or any other transparent substance may be used as the transparent medium. A wire reinforcing member V may be placed inside the helmet so as to maintain the position upon the head and also to maintain the shape of said helmet. This however maybe dispensed with. A chin rest 0 is also provided for the purpose of better fastening the helmet on the head.

' The harness member B may be made of canvas or rubberized fabric or any other durable water-proof material. should be equal or greater than the distance between the hips of the person to Whom it is to be fitted, and its length suflicient to enclose the body from the crotch to the shoulders. About midway of the harness means the buoyant means E is attached, As shown, this is a semi-circular member, the other half is attached to one of the ends of said harness. Fastening means F and F may be provided on the ends of said halves in order to secure them together when Its width llii brought into position. This fastening means may be of any type so long as they hold the two halves together to operate as a unit.

The buoyant means may be made of cork or any other suitable buoyant material. Situated about midway between these halves are two holes D of sufficient diameter to permit them to be slid over the leg portions of the suit. Between the member E and the other end is disposed a hole of larger diameter whi ch is to fit over the helmet. Hook members H and reenforced eyelets G are provided at the ends to securely fasten the harness in place. The hooks H are preferably of such type that they do not easily lose their hold. These may be a hook of the type shown, one having a leaf-spring tongue which may be pressed into the eyelet and cannot be released without pressing in" wardly the spring-tongue. When in position the halves of the buoyant means come together and form a circular body of much the same appearance as the ordinary life preserver.

Of course, it is apparent that the harness means has in itself utility, and may of itself operate as a means for maintaining and holding the head and arms of a person above water. However, its utility is enhanced when combined with the waterproof suit for the reason that through the use of the suit a person will not be subject to exposure due to being in thewater. By combining these two elements a life-saving means is achieved which combines all the advantages of both.

The legs of the suit may be put through the holes in the harness designed to receive the legs when the suit is kept in readiness for use to save time when itis put on, so that when the suit is to be slipped on, the helmet portion being open, the person slips into the suit, locks up the helmet portions and throws the other end of the harness over his head, the head passing through the hole, and then fastens the ends of the harness together in front. The two halves of the buoyant means are then either automatically or by slight manual adjustment locked together.

, However, I do not wish to be limited to the exact structure of the preferred embodiment shown and described, but desire protection as against any variations in structure which fall within the purview of my invention and are within the spirit and scope of the following claims:

hat I claim as new is as follows:

1. In a life-saving armor, a water tight suit having in combination therewith a barness having disposed therein holes for the leg portions and a hole for the head portion, buoyant means attached to said harness, said buoyant means comprising two separate complementary members having interlocking means at the ends thereof. 7

2. In a life-saving armor, a flexible member for enveloping the body, buoyant means attached to said flexible member, said buoyant means comprising plural buoyant members, having locking means at their facing ends and so disposed that when in operative position they are in the region of the waist portion of the wearer.

3. In a life-saving armor, a harness member comprising a strip of material having openings therein, said openings comprising a large opening near one end of said strip for the reception of the head of the wearer, smaller openings near the other end disposed substantially a body-length from said opening, said latter openings being adapted to receive the leg members of the wearer, buoyant means attaehed to said strip, and fastening means at the ends of said harness, said fastening means when in operative position being disposed in the region of the chest of the wearer.

t. In the structure set forth in claim 3, said harness member having fastening means at its ends to secure the harness in place on the body, said fastening means being in the region of the human chest when in operative position.

In the structure set forth in claim 3, said buoyant means consisting of two members, with locking means at the ends and so disposed and attached to the harness that when in place the waist portion of the person is surrounded.

Signed at Fall River in the county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts, this 12th day of. Jan, 1926.

CORNELIUS J. CAREY. 

